An Unlikely Pair
by akichimihito
Summary: When Anna first saw Elsa skate, she instantly fell in love. However, it took many years before Anna finally managed to talk to Elsa. And then just a few years later they would go to the Winter Olympics together; Elsa, the World Champion figure skater and Anna as an Olympic rookie hockey player. (Elsanna, not icest)
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

Anna was six when she entered the ice rink for first time. She was equipped with her hockey stick, hockey pants, helmet, skates, and eagerness to play. Ever since Anna watched her first Winter Olympics with her parents, she knew hockey was the sport she wanted to do. Her parents had tried to sway her towards figure skating but Anna didn't want to dance around. Something about smacking around a puck and knocking people into walls was way more appealing than doing crazy spinning tricks and flailing her arms around. It just looked cooler too. But when Anna saw her, figure skating certainly didn't look as silly as it did on TV.

The girl on the other side of the rink knew how to skate on ice. The way she twirled and effortlessly moved was so smooth and beautiful. Her platinum blonde hair was braided in a low ponytail and she wore a black headband. She wasn't wearing one of those glittery dresses but she was wearing light blue tights and a matching jacket with white gloves. Anna could only guess how gorgeous this girl would look in a fancy, glittering dress.

She smiled at the thought.

Anna didn't pay much attention during practice. She barely recalled her teammate's names, hoping to instead catch the name of the figure skater. Anna even went so far as to skate a little too close to the other side and was constantly scolded by her coach to come back. On her fifth attempt, Anna actually fell, sliding further than she meant to.

But it was worth it.

"Elsa, watch out behind you," Anna heard the coach say. He was a tall, slender black man wearing a cool blue turtle neck and black pants. His clean shaven goatee was trimmed into a triangle right on his chin with a thin line of hair around his mouth connected to his mustache.

Anna looked up to see her, Elsa, slowly backing away but she was looking at her nonetheless.

Elsa was her name. It was a beautiful name and it matched her perfectly. Elsa looked older by a couple of years. Upon closer inspection, Anna saw that Elsa had short bangs that ended right above her crystal blue eyes.

She gave Anna a small, sympathetic smile.

"S-Sorry," Anna stammered. She got up as fast as she could, lost her footing a little, but she managed to skate back to her team.

That was the start of it all.

Anna was so glad that they shared the same practice area. Elsa would already be practicing as Anna walked through the doors. It was always just Elsa and her coach in the rink whenever Anna arrived.

Anna heard talk from one of her teammates, Rapunzel, that Elsa has been skating for three years now. She's won a couple junior competitions already and was pretty talented for someone her age. There was talk about national and world competitions. Even the Olympics.

Anna managed to convince her parents to drop her off fifteen minutes earlier than usual. They finally agreed when Anna's coach told them she had no problems letting little Anna skate around before the other girls arrived. Coach Calhoun was a little scary at first and she was a bit stern but Anna liked her. She drilled them much like Anna imagined a sergeant would to fellow soldiers but always with a smile in the end.

Ever since Anna started showing up early, Coach Calhoun would offer Anna a small cup of hot chocolate at least ten minutes before the start of practice.

"Don't let your parents or any of your other teammates know I give you sugar before practice. It's actually not good for you," Calhoun had told her when she gave Anna her first hot chocolate. It was during the third time Anna arrived early.

That cemented Anna's appreciation for her coach.

Anna looked forward to those fifteen minutes before practice. Not only did she get free hot chocolate, but it was the only time that it was just her and Elsa in the ice rink. She tried hard to keep her cool and not stare so blatantly but it was extremely difficult.

Elsa was just amazing at everything she did. Depending on the music they chose Elsa would be sad, happy, excited, or even angry. It wasn't just her facial expressions. She used her entire body to convey her emotions.

It was during those intense sessions that Anna opted to just sit and watch instead.

It truly was mesmerizing. It certainly made Anna more appreciative of the sport.

Even after a few years, Anna couldn't help but watch.

Calhoun kept scolding her for not paying attention when they were doing drills. It resulted in her having to do laps.

Some of her teammates caught on to her crush on Elsa.

"You can talk to her, you know," Rapunzel told her matter-of-factly. "We basically practice together."

"Yeah, I'm not going to do that," Anna murmured. She looked away as if that simple act would erase all evidence of her infatuation.

Elsa was three years older than her. She probably wanted nothing to do with a dorky little hockey player anyways.

"You stare so much, I wouldn't be surprised if Elsa already knows," Mulan added with a grin.

Anna blushed hard at that thought.

Even her mother could tell she liked watching Elsa a little too much.

"It's not too late to switch, you know," Anna's mother told her when Anna was too busy watching Elsa practicing her air jump spins instead of untying her skates.

"No way. Spinning makes me too dizzy." Anna hastily removed her skates and put on regular shoes.

* * *

Anna was nine when she bumped into Elsa.

Elsa was walking out right as Anna was entering the locker room.

"Oh, sorry! I didn't-" Anna's words died in her throat when she realized Elsa was ten inches from her.

"No, no. You're fine." Elsa took a step back to allow Anna passage.

Anna was dumbfounded for a split second. Elsa was very well dressed. She was wearing a loose, long sleeved off-white shirt that ended right at the top of her thighs. Over the shirt she wore a sleeveless dark blue down vest with a fur-lined hood attached. Black leggings were her choice of pants. Her brown leather boots came halfway up her calf and she wore thick, light tan, knee-high wool socks that bunched a little above the top of her boots. Elsa certainly looked a lot more attractive in civilian clothing.

"Do you have a game today?"

The question knocked Anna out of her stupor.

"I- yeah!" Anna nearly cringed at her loud voice. She cleared her throat and spoke normally this time. "I mean, yes, I have a game today."

Elsa smiled. Anna almost swooned.

"Good luck. You won't need it, though."

Anna gaped as Elsa left.

"Earth to Anna. Anna, do you read me? Come in!"

Rapunzel was waving her hands in front of Anna's eyes.

"We may have just lost one of our key players," Mulan stated as she came up next to Rapunzel. "Quick, someone get Elsa!"

"Don't you dare!" Anna growled. Rapunzel and Mulan laughed as they ran inside the locker rooms to get ready. Anna followed them grudgingly.

The game was a breeze. Anna scored four out of the seven goals they had. She was just on her game today, swerving in and out of the other players with ease. She even passed the puck with it actually getting it to her teammates. No one had to scramble to get to a rogue puck from her that day.

She was still so happy about finally having Elsa talk to her. And that smile, it made Anna all giddy inside. It was almost a dream come true.

Maybe they could be friends?

The thought was humorous. They had nothing in common other than they could both skate on ice. Even then it wasn't even the same kind of skating either.

"Man, if just bumping into Elsa makes you play like that, I might just have to convince her to say hello to you before each game." Rapunzel wrapped an arm around Anna's shoulder as they made their way off the ice.

Anna wanted to argue back but she couldn't. There was no point in trying to deny it. Talking to Elsa definitely made her feel great.

"I take your silence as a yes."

"No, it is not! Don't you dare say anything to Elsa!"

Rapunzel laughed, skating right out of Anna's reach.

Mulan only gave Anna a pointed look with a hint of a smile as she glided past her which, Anna wasn't sure was better or worse. She felt her face heating up regardless and had to look away.

* * *

Practices became painfully embarrassing.

Rapunzel kept wiggling her eyebrows whenever Elsa shared the rink with them. Mulan liked to bump Anna towards Elsa every chance she got. Thankfully, now that they were older and their team was a little bigger, Elsa didn't have as many overlapping practices as before. A lot of times, Anna would catch Elsa just as she was leaving or vice versa. But every Friday, they had a half hour overlap.

A fact her two teammates loved to take advantage of.

Mulan and Rapunzel would both stare at Elsa then look pointedly at Anna with smirks glued forever onto their faces. Anna made a point to not look at them unless she had to pass the puck.

There was a close call when Elsa caught Rapunzel and Mulan staring at her as she skated off the rink. Then those idiots giggled, _giggled_ when Elsa passed Anna.

She almost died.

It shouldn't have been a surprise when Elsa said hello to her the next day. Given the years they've spent sharing the same rink; it was hard to not know of each other. Or was it because of Rapunzel and Mulan that Elsa said hello. Anna hoped it wasn't because if it was she'd kill them herself and-

Seeing Elsa smile at her on her own accord and not because Anna made a fool of herself though. Yeah. Anna could come to forgive them.

It was still surreal to her.

Elsa would greet Anna with a polite hello if their eyes ever met, which Anna tried hard not to do. Anna would stammer a greeting back and sometimes even gave a little wave when they were too far to hear each other.

It wasn't much but at least Anna knew that Elsa was aware of her existence.

* * *

"Hey, so the World Junior Figure Skating Championship is going to be held here," Rapunzel stated.

They were at Rapunzel's house for a weekend sleepover. Rapunzel was sitting on her bed with her sketchbook and pencil in hand. She was dressed in simple pink matching top and bottom pajamas. Her long blonde hair was braided behind her. Mulan was wearing a tank top and shorts but was too preoccupied with Legend of Zelda to look at them. Mulan's parents didn't allow her to have any sort of gaming system in the house so she was always glued to the TV with a controller in hand whenever they had sleepovers.

Anna sat on the floor next to Mulan. She loved watching people play video games especially when it was a game that she loved herself.

"What? Really? We never have any major figure skating competitions held here. Why would they come here for that?" Mulan asked. She was currently fighting an armored skeleton with three swords. She was always great at multitasking.

"Because of Elsa." Rapunzel shot Anna a wide grin.

The look on Anna's face must have been something because Rapunzel started laughing. Mulan paused her game to look over.

"Come on, are you really that surprised? And here I thought you knew everything about Elsa."

Anna's face heated up but she puffed her cheeks and tried to look angry.

It wasn't working from the way her two friends laughed.

Anna knew that their ice skating rink was fairly large and held a lot of events there but it wasn't really pro stadium quality. Though, hearing this bit of news, she finally understood why there was so much construction going on. They built a smaller, temporary ice rink next to the main one they had so practices could still be held there. It was where Anna's team had been practicing but most of their games were held out of town. It made her happy when she learned their ice rink was getting a bit of an upgrade. But she had no idea that Elsa was the reason for it…

"Wow, are they really coming here just because of Elsa? I know she's great during practice but I don't know much about her other than that. I mean, yeah, I see she's won gold and silver during some competitions. Coach Calhoun always congratulates her but Coach Lucius always congratulates us whenever we win a game." Anna honestly thought it was just common courtesy that the coaches cheered on kids regardless of what sport they were in.

Elsa's coach, Lucius Best was a well-known athlete apparently and participated in a couple Olympics way back when. He was dubbed Frozone during the time because he had so much style and class during his performances. "In the Zone" was one of his catchphrases and he loved to say it whenever Elsa skated really well during practice.

It was sometimes funny to see Calhoun and Lucius interact with each other. They were such different people and loved to give each other crap whenever Anna heard them talking to each other. It was clear that they had been coaching kids for a long time and using the same ice rink from the old pictures Anna saw hanging around the lobby.

"Where did you hear all of this?" Mulan asked.

"I read, you guys. Seriously, do neither of you see the huge posters hanging all around the bulletin or, heck, take the pamphlets that tell us the agenda for the month? That's why we've had construction for the past year!"

Anna and Mulan glanced at each other then back at Rapunzel blankly.

"I just thought they were fixing up the place because it needed a lot of work," Mulan said with an indifferent shrug.

Rapunzel threw her hands in the air.

She leaned over her bed to reach into her bag for something. She fished out the said pamphlet and tossed it at Anna.

Opening it, Anna read about the World Junior Figure Skating Championship being held for the first time here in Arendelle. Though it wasn't as grand as the others, the huge attention Elsa was gaining was the main reason they decided to hold it here.

There was also a little blurb about Elsa's father having a hand in getting the funding for the ice rink to be upgraded as well.

Anna was a little embarrassed to just find out that Elsa had won this Championship the year before, being one of the youngest to win gold with one of the best scores in history.

"I'm guessing you don't watch the Figure Skating Championships they broadcast on national television, do you, Anna?" Rapunzel asked with a half grin.

"They broadcast it on TV?!"

Why did she not know about this? She knew about the Olympics but she didn't know they broadcasted figure skating!

"Wow, some fan you are. Or maybe all you care about is how Elsa looks when she's near you that you don't need to see her in competitions."

"That's low, even for you, Anna," Mulan added.

They were teasing her again but she didn't care. She could have watched Elsa all dressed up in those sparkly outfits and skating alone on the ice rink with nothing but her music to accompany her.

"Do they have clips on Youtube?" Anna managed to ask though her voice was barely above a whisper.

Anna wished she owned a laptop or even a tablet. Even a smartphone would suffice right now.

"Yup."

That's how Anna commandeered the Wii from Mulan, installed the Youtube channel, and watched Elsa's performances late into the night.

Elsa was even more flawless, if such a thing were possible, during the actual events. She wore a short teal dress with long black sleeves and matching teal gloves that ended halfway up her forearm. Her dress was covered asymmetrically with glittering deep purple and dark green studded gems. Her hair was held up in a low bun and she sported her familiar black headband. For the free skate, she wore a violet dress that was free flowing compared to her previous dress and was slightly longer. This dress didn't have any gems but her elbow high gloves had white gems that spiraled around them. Her hair was in the low braid Anna was used to seeing but the headband was gone.

Elsa's face was so expressive. You could feel the pain in her short program and then the utter joy and happiness in the free skate. Her jumps were flawless and her spins were graceful despite the speed she was going.

Anna couldn't believe that this girl, this perfect being, was in such proximity to her.

And yet Anna hardly knew anything about her. She had to hear from Rapunzel about Elsa's accomplishments.

Elsa was extremely polite in her interviews but they were always short and right to the chase. They were generally all the same questions. How did you feel about your performance? What was your inspiration? What does it feel like being this young and so talented?

There was one question that Elsa didn't give a clear answer and that was whether or not she would be going to the Olympics.

Something about the way Elsa breathed deeply and looked towards the ground didn't seem quite right. She would always answer the same regardless.

"I would love to but right now, I'm just happy to be here."

* * *

Anna was eleven when the World Junior Figure Skating Championship was held at their ice rink.

She arrived with Rapunzel and Mulan, with adult supervision from Anna's mother.

They sat in the far back of the rink. Anna still was a little scared and embarrassed to come watch the championship solely for Elsa. She was forever grateful that her two friends decided to come along with her.

"It's the Championship held here, in Arendelle! Who wouldn't want to go!" Rapunzel had proclaimed.

"It's cool that Elsa is the reason our ice rink has upgraded. I mean, I know you're her biggest fan but I'm here just to support her. And you," Mulan gave a wide grin at that.

There were TV crews and photographers all around the rink with huge equipment at the ready.

Anna hoped that she wouldn't appear on TV or any pictures. She didn't want to expose herself. If they caught her at this event that had nothing to do with her, Anna was sure that Elsa might learn about her crush.

So of course, Anna tried to disguise herself.

She was wearing a baggy green hoodie with the hood covering her very distinctive strawberry blonde hair. Anna hadn't thought much about her hair color until Mulan pointed out that she could spot her from a mile away. Anna wished her friends would hide as well. Elsa knew them all by name so she would probably be able to recognize them as well.

"What are you doing?" Anna's mother asked her.

Mulan gave her a quick glance but was subtle enough that no one else saw.

"I'm, uh, just kind of cold. Well, my ears are."

Thankfully her mother dropped it after that. She even gave Anna her jacket.

The announcements startled all of them. It seemed as if they upgraded their sound system as well.

After the first hour, Anna almost regretted coming. Her butt was sore and she really didn't care about any of the other competitors. Rapunzel seemed to be the only one that was really into this. She would gasp and squeal whenever someone did a double Lutz, or any Lutz for that matter. Some girls were quite good, Anna concluded, but they were nothing compared to Elsa.

Elsa was wearing a dark blue, turtle neck dress with long sleeves and hands covered with matching gloves. There were swirls of white gems on the hem of her dress but other than that, she was quite dark. Her hair was in a high bun this time. She face was covered in darker makeup than usual. Her eye shadow was a faint gray and her lips were a dark, almost blood red shade.

Elsa did some warm up skating around the rink just like Anna saw her do every time she managed to catch part of Elsa's practices. Elsa's hands were clenched into tight fists and she kept her eyes focused onto the ground. She would rotate around and skate backwards for half the rink then turn back around. Towards the end, she held her hands together as if they were cold. She would grasp her hands together and repeat the movement in different positions.

Her hands were shaking. Elsa was nervous.

Anna sat forward, her back a little straighter than before.

When the slow piano music started playing, Elsa lost all nervousness and became a completely different person. She glided on the ice effortlessly and with such grace, but also, was it sadness? The way she extended her arms and then curled into herself made Anna's heart ache. She put her whole body into this performance from the way her body turned to how she purposefully faced away from the direction she was going. It was almost like Elsa was trying to tell a story instead of trying to win a competition. Like, maybe Elsa was trying to fight against the direction her life was going.

Her jumps were expertly timed and executed to the culmination of the music. Then as if finally accepting that this was how it was going to be, she made the most of it and pulled out all the stops, doing jump after jump. She even landed a triple Axel!

By the end of it, Anna was an emotional wreck. Her heart was palpitating and she finally released the air she didn't realize she was holding.

It was no wonder that they brought the Championship to her.

"Wow…" was all Mulan could say.

"Yeah, I- that was-" Rapunzel continued though only just. "If that was her short program…Man, I wonder what her long program is going to be like."

"She's only fourteen?" Anna's mother asked.

"Yeah, she is," Anna managed to say. She was stunned.

This was unlike anything Elsa had ever done before. This one was so…so, Anna wasn't even sure. It was amazing but it was also a little painful to watch not because it was a bad performance. But it was like Elsa was trying to escape from something.

Needless to say, it was no surprise in the end to see Elsa standing on the highest platform with a gold medal around her neck.

* * *

Almost a year later and Anna was standing in the middle of the same rink. It was the PeeWee Championship game and her team was one goal away from winning the trophy.

The score was currently tied two-two and Anna was in current possession of the puck. They were in overtime now with only a minute left before they would have to do a shoot-out.

She swerved between the opposing team, guiding the puck closer and closer to the goal. She was drenched in sweat, her hands were clammy and her legs were exhausted. But Anna was still faster and managed to lose the defending team, leaving just the goalie as her last obstruction to the goal. She brought her stick back and swung down to score the winning hit.

Her hand slipped. The puck ricocheted from the tip of her stick instead and bounced off the back wall.

The next moments were a blur. The puck was recovered by the opposing team and not a moment later she was scrambling to get it back. Their passes were quick. Too quick for even Mulan or Rapunzel to stop.

The loud buzz rang in her ears as they scored the winning goal.

Her team just lost the Championship.

And it was her fault.

They lost because of her.

It was painful to look at her fellow teammates, some glared at her while others refused to look at her. Only Mulan and Rapunzel were kind and tried to comfort her but it only made her feel worse.

Calhoun gave Anna a pat on the back.

"Don't worry kiddo. We've got next year."

Even then, she wasn't sure if they'd even make it to the Championship game.

Anna opted to stay behind as the rest of her team filed out. She didn't bother changing out of her gear or her jersey.

"Don't worry about me, guys. I just want to stay a little longer."

"And do what? Laps? I think you're done for the night," Rapunzel said as she tried to pull Anna up.

"No, dude. Seriously, I just want to rest here for a little bit." Anna pulled her arm back.

"You can rest at home. Let's go."

Mulan placed a hand on Rapunzel's shoulder.

"Don't stay too late," with that Mulan pulled Rapunzel out of the locker room.

Anna managed to convince her parents that she could walk home. Their house was only a fifteen minute walk away. Her mother gave her cell phone to Anna in case of any emergency.

The ice rink was closed to the public today due to the PeeWee Championship game being held here so it was no surprise that there was only a couple people left. Coach Calhoun included.

"Why haven't you changed out of your jersey yet?" Calhoun asked when Anna came back out in full gear save for her helmet, stick, and gloves.

"I just…want to…" Anna trailed off. There was no point in lying to her coach. Calhoun was a smart woman and there probably was no way that she'd allow Anna to stay and run drills on her own.

It was silent for a moment before Calhoun said, "I'll lock the doors so be sure you have everything before you leave the building. Turn off all the lights when you leave. You know where the hot chocolate dispenser is."

Anna was forever grateful. Sometimes Calhoun was stern but there were times like these that she also just knew that some people needed space.

Anna started doing laps. She lost count somewhere around twenty-four but picked up the pace after each time she passed the goal she missed.

How stupid could she have been to lose her grip on her stick? It was the most basic thing in the world.

Anna stopped doing laps and started hard sprints from one end to the other, making sure to touch the line before she switched sides.

She was so angry with herself. She lost the game for her entire team. She lost even when they had home court advantage.

Anna collapsed in the middle of the rink. Her legs gave out. She could barely feel anything. Her chest was heaving as she gasped for air. The pain was almost unbearable but she felt satisfied with this kind of punishment. Anna draped her right arm over her eyes hoping that hiding her vision would help forget.

She heard someone skating towards her until they finally came to a stop somewhere to her left.

"Dude, I told you, I'm fine."

It must have been Rapunzel. That girl never could leave her alone sometimes.

"You certainly don't look fine."

That voice did not belong to Rapunzel or Mulan or anyone she expected.

Anna's breathing hitched when it finally registered whose voice it was.

She slowly lowered her arm to find Elsa standing over her not dressed in her usual training pants, black tank, and black gloves but in black tights, dark gray shorts that ended just below the top of her thighs with the edges rolled up. Her top consisted of a form-fitting, low-cut aqua blue shirt with a black shirt layered under and a black waterfall cardigan. Elsa's wavy hair fell loosely around her shoulders. She tucked the hair on her left side behind her ear. Anna saw that Elsa wore a leather wrist watch that did not look cheap.

Anna was at a loss for words. Why was Elsa here? Clearly she wasn't dressed to practice. The building was supposed to have been locked so there's no way she could have been in here.

Unless…

"H-Have you been here the whole time?"

"I've been here since the beginning of the game," Elsa said as she tilted her head to the side with a half-smile.

"The beginning?" Anna sat up on instinct but her body was so exhausted that she could barely hold herself up. Thus she fell back hard.

"Hey, careful!"

Elsa dropped down but her knees didn't touch the ice. Her hands hovered over Anna, not quite sure where to put them or what to do.

Anna chuckled. It was a hollow sound.

It shouldn't have been much of a surprised to know that Elsa attended the game. Half of the town came to watch her lose the game for them.

"If it's any consolation, your teammates should have defended the goal better. It's not entirely your fault," Elsa opted to clasp her hands together on her knee for the time being.

Was this dream? The two of them alone were in the ice rink where Anna first saw her. Elsa leaning over Anna, concern in her eyes while Anna was in her full jersey gear. Now if Elsa just leaned down a little further…

Elsa frowned as she pressed a cool hand onto Anna's forehead.

"You're hot, Anna." Elsa pushed away Anna's wet bangs. She moved her hand to the top of Anna's head, giving her a light pat but not removing her hand entirely.

The urge to say 'so are you' was on the tip of her tongue. She bit the words back down.

"I'm- all sweaty and you just touched me and now I've gotten your hand all gross-"

Elsa chuckled. She wiped her hand on Anna's jersey.

"You are a bit sweaty but it's not like I don't sweat either."

Anna didn't know why that made her grin.

"What? The great Ice Queen Elsa sweats? That's blasphemy!"

Elsa turned her head and laughed. She brought up a loose fist to cover lips as the sound escaped her.

Anna was beaming. She made Elsa laugh. That was a great feeling. She wanted to do it again.

"Believe it or not, I'm not all that perfect."

It was supposed to have been a light-hearted statement but Anna could tell it meant more to Elsa than she let on. Elsa gazed down; eyes not meeting Anna's for a moment before she looked back and shrugged indifferently.

"That's not true. I think you're perfect."

The words were out of her mouth before she even realized it. Anna pressed her lips together to prevent herself from rambling on like she usually did when she was nervous or scared.

Elsa looked at her with what looked like mild surprise for a split second before she grinned.

"Thanks," Elsa was a little skeptical. She must have heard people tell her that all the time and assumed Anna was just being polite.

"No, really! All of your performances are so beautiful and amazing, it's like, unreal almost. The way you glide and jump; it makes my heart stop sometimes. And your face, just the way your expressions are-" Anna's hands were animating movements as if they would help get the point across somehow. "Yeah, I mean, you're pretty much close to perfection in my book."

"All of my performances? Are you watching them on Youtube?" Elsa now was giving her a smile that was making Anna blush out of embarrassment. Her raised eyebrow and amused look wasn't really helping.

"N-not…all of them…I try to attend your competitions if it's in town but when they're not I try to watch it on TV and-" Anna couldn't believe she said that out loud. She covered her face with her hands. "That sounds kinda stalkerish, doesn't it?"

It was silent for a while. Anna refused to remove her hands. She didn't want to see whatever expression was on Elsa's face. She was probably disgusted. Oh god, was Elsa disgusted with her? Anna should have kept her mouth shut. Why did she even say that?

"Well, I've been attending your home games ever since we bumped into each other that one day."

Anna peeked through her fingers. She wasn't ashamed or embarrassed like Anna. She even looked a little proud.

"Y-you have?"

"Yup. You always look like you're having so much fun during practice so I figured I'd stay and watch at least one game." Elsa shrugged as if it was no big deal, which it probably wasn't to her but for Anna, yeah. "You guys play so well together which is why I know that your team could have played better and that you shouldn't beat yourself over one mistake."

"A mistake that cost us the championship."

"A PeeWee championship. You'll get it next year. I know you will. Come on, we should head home."

Elsa stood straight up, offering a hand to Anna. She grasped it and let Elsa pull her up on her feet.

Anna's legs weren't as jelly-like anymore. She felt a little rejuvenated in fact.

"I still want to skate around a little more, actually."

Without a hint of hesitation, Elsa said "Alright, I'll stay with you."

Anna gaped. Elsa reached over and pushed Anna's chin up to close her mouth.

"We've been skating at the same place together for six years, Anna. Why are you so shocked about it now?"

"Er- well, cause now it's just the two of us and you're actually here on your own. With just me. And we're alone."

Elsa skated backwards a few feet away from Anna, hands held behind her back.

"Sometimes I come here when everyone is gone just to skate. It's nice having this whole place to myself and not having to think about what anyone else thinks or wants."

"Oh, well I can leave if you want-"

"After a while it gets a bit lonely." Elsa started skating in a circle around Anna. "It would be nice to have someone to skate with."

Anna smiled so wide that her face almost hurt. She chased after Elsa but she kept gliding and spinning right out of Anna's reach. They weren't doing anything fancy. Elsa wasn't skating through a choreographed routine. She simply skated just to skate.

Anna didn't remember the last time she was on ice without a hockey stick in her hand. It just seemed natural every time that she put on her skates that her stick came with her.

This was different and much more freeing. It was like Anna wasn't even a hockey player and Elsa wasn't a figure skater. They were just two girls enjoying themselves, laughing and squealing with their makeshift game of tag.

Anna couldn't quite believe that Elsa was here with her. Witnessing the way Elsa smiled as they both held a cup of hot chocolate in their hands reminded her that Elsa wasn't much older than her. She may be a world champion but Elsa was also still just a girl.

A girl that enjoyed Anna's company and was slowly becoming a friend.


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N: Calhoun is from Wreck-It-Ralph :) All characters that have a name are most likely going to be from something._  


* * *

**Chapter Two**

Almost all of Elsa's free time was spent at the skating rink. Anna didn't realize how much time Elsa actually spent on the ice going through every possible move imaginable in figure skating. It was mesmerizing and also quite tiring just watching Elsa go through jump after jump. In fact, the only time Elsa wasn't practicing was when they spent their weekly secret rendezvous nights together.

They agreed to spend at least one night out of the week together on the ice rink after hours.

It was during their third time that Anna was feeling a little bold.

"Hey, Elsa! Teach me some moves!"

"Moves?"

They were just skating around the rink. Neither were dressed in their usual training outfit or gear.

Anna was wearing a green and gray horizontally striped zip up hoodie. She wore dark green Khakis with the ends tapered and tucked into her skates.

Elsa was wearing a knitted dark gray and dark red beanie with a white pom on top. Anna could never figure out how people got the beanies to sit on the back half of their head and keep it in place but Elsa managed just fine. She left her long blonde wavy hair down. She wore a maroon, cotton button-up shirt with a one-button black cardigan and a dark blue blazer. She wore a loose, black high-low skirt with the top end starting mid-thigh and the back ending right below her knees.

Elsa was elegantly skating backwards as if it was as normal as walking. It might as well have been, given how comfortable she was on ice.

Anna wasn't as smooth on ice as Elsa but she was quite good at catching her whenever Elsa tried to escape. Anna was definitely the faster of the two but Elsa certainly had better movements. She would always twirl out of Anna's reach and expertly pivot around Anna. Elsa certainly could give professional hockey players a run for their money.

"What type of moves do you want to know?"

Anna skidded to a stop right in front of Elsa. They were in the middle of the rink.

"I don't know, like, a jump or how to spin super fast."

"Last time you tried to spin you fell, hit your face, and got blood all over the ice."

Anna remembered. It was the week after her team had lost and she was still feeling a little sore about it. Elsa had just gotten off practice but Anna's team was just starting. Elsa asked if Anna wanted to stay a little after and of course Anna agreed. She ignored Rapunzel and Mulan's exaggerated air kisses and happy dances behind Elsa.

Needless to say, they didn't spend that much time on the ice that night. Most of the night was spent with Elsa holding back her laughter as Anna felt red hot embarrassment holding tissues over her nose trying to stop the bleeding.

"Yeah, well, that time I was trying to impress you. Weren't you impressed by my fall from grace?"

"Oh, so impressed," Elsa deadpanned.

Anna grinned. She loved it when Elsa gave her that look of mock annoyance.

"Or you can show me a jump! It's kinda like this, yeah?"

Anna did something akin to a half twirl and mini hop. She was sure she looked absolutely ridiculous if Elsa's mildly appalled look was anything to go by.

"I don't- that wasn't even a full rotation," Elsa said, sounding genuinely exasperated that Anna couldn't do something so simple.

"That's why you gotta teach me!"

Elsa crossed her arms over her chest, pursing her lips to her right.

"I think you're a lost cause."

"Hey!" Anna puffed her cheeks out. She knew it was pointless and the fact that she was wearing her hockey skates instead of normal skates meant that she was at an even bigger disadvantage. "Well, Ice Queen, why don't you show me how it's done."

"Why? So you can fall and get a bloody nose again? No, thank you." Elsa started skating away from Anna. She turned her back on Anna, arms still crossed over her chest.

"Elsa," Anna whined. She easily caught up and slipped a hand under Elsa's arm to stop her. "I promise I'll stop goofing around."

Elsa gave her a look.

"Okay, I'm not sure I will but at least I'm going to try. I've never really understood the appeal of figure skating until I saw you that one day," Anna said though she grew quieter towards the end. She remembered the first time Elsa ever looked at her and gave her that smile.

"You mean the first day you skated on ice and for some reason kept gravitating towards my side of the ice rink then fell down?"

Anna's eyes widened.

"How- y-you remember that?"

Elsa tilted her head and gave Anna a half smile.

"It's hard to forget. What, with Calhoun yelling your name every minute or so," Elsa started, her grin growing wider at the memory. "Then, of course, the following practices when you would always have to do laps because you were too busy day dreaming to pay attention. You seem to have gotten better when we had less overlapping practices."

Anna's face was red hot, she just knew it. She released her hold on Elsa and started skating in a fast circle. She wanted to dig a hole deep into the ground and freeze to death. Even then, she wasn't sure that would help lower her body temp right now.

Anna had no idea that Elsa paid enough attention to remember all those details. Anna was so sure that she had been subtle. Clearly she only just made a bigger fool of herself.

Wait, if Elsa noticed Anna…did that mean she notice Rapunzel and Mulan as well?

Oh god, she hoped not.

"I-I…well, you were just…so cool! And I was just…kinda…hoping we could be friends but that was such a crazy thought because you're just so awesome and I'm a dork and-"

"And I waited a long time for you to say hello to me," Elsa interjected.

"You- wait, what?"

Did she hear her right?

"If we didn't bump into each other that one day, I don't think you would have ever said anything to me."

Elsa was skating backwards again, with her hands behind her back. Anna skated after her.

"Wait, you were waiting for me to talk to you?"

Elsa nodded.

"I tried saying hello a couple of times but you seemed too shy still," Elsa started as she shifted into the spread eagle, gliding inside and out but kept her head facing Anna. "When you came to the Junior Championships with Rapunzel and Mulan though, I was really flattered and a little nervous. Luckily I didn't fall. That would have been humiliating."

Anna stopped dead in her tracks. Elsa knew she was there. Elsa knew that Anna went to her competitions. Elsa knew what Anna was doing the moment Anna first stepped onto the ice.

"I…I didn't think you'd notice me. I mean, I wish I knew that you were approachable but, uh, Elsa, you're like a legend all over town and I'm just…just me," Anna didn't know what to say. She hadn't been as invisible as she hoped which, she wasn't sure if it was good or bad now.

"Hey, hey," Elsa suddenly was in front of Anna. She reached over to hold Anna's hands, giving them a gentle squeeze as she pulled Anna a little closer. Elsa's hands were really soft and cool but not cold. "Don't sell yourself so short. I think you're an amazing hockey player and you're pretty funny. I wouldn't have approached you if I thought otherwise."

"Yeah, well, wait till you get to know me then you'll see," Anna chuckled.

She meant it as a joke but she felt that it wasn't really. There wasn't much she could offer Elsa apart from being a friend and maybe some agility lessons. Anna wasn't anything special.

"Can't wait," Elsa said with a wide smile.

Anna nearly fainted.

* * *

Two years have gone by since. Anna now fourteen and Elsa was seventeen.

Elsa, with much prodding from Anna, tried to teach her how to do jumps and spins while Anna taught Elsa the fundamentals of hockey. Anna got really good at pivots and changing directions while Elsa was able to gain better speed for her jumps.

It was nights like these that Anna wondered how she never managed to talk to Elsa after all these years.

They were fundamentally different people but they somehow learned so much from the other and got along so well.

Anna learned that Elsa loved hot chocolate as much as she did but was much more reserved about her sweet tooth than Anna. While they had vastly different hobbies, Elsa seemed to be genuinely interested in what Anna liked to do. She never sneered or teased Anna for her love of handheld video games or her crazy adventures trying to be a parkour master. Elsa actually seemed to encourage everything Anna did and that, more than anything, was a breath of fresh air.

Elsa was a fan of movies, her knowledge of the classics was vast. Anna knew next to nothing about classic movies. She was more of an action and adventure type. Elsa enjoyed the more intelligent genres where it made watchers think about life and stuff. Anna liked things that were lighthearted, fast paced, and could keep her attention the entire way through.

Elsa was also a huge book worm and carried her Kindle everywhere while Anna carried her 3DS. Despite this, they always asked what the other was reading and/or was playing. Elsa became so animated whenever she talked about the characters and the intense plot she was currently engrossed in. Anna was so enamored by the way Elsa spoke so passionately about whatever she was currently reading. It was a treat to see Elsa lose herself and just let go of the professional facade she always wore out in public.

Shortly after they began their weekly skating sessions, Elsa invited Anna to come over to her house. Anna was a little surprised but immediately, and very happily she might add, accepted the offer.

Sometimes Anna would head over to Elsa's house after practice and they would just sit in silence and enjoy each other's company.

At first, Anna was surprised how she found comfort in Elsa's silent presence. Anna usually hated silence and tried to fill the seemingly empty air with meaningless chatter. She used to do that at first, when she wasn't sure what to else to do. They always ended up sitting on Elsa's bed together with Anna talking about everything and anything she could think of. Sometimes she felt like an idiot because she spent so much time talking about useless things only because she didn't know what else to say. Then one day, as Anna was talking, she felt Elsa lean her head onto Anna's shoulder.

Elsa had fallen asleep in the middle of their conversation.

Anna thought she had bored Elsa so much that she feel asleep but that couldn't have been the case. Elsa cared so much about how people saw her that she would never be caught dead falling asleep by just anyone. The fact that Elsa felt comfortable enough to allow herself a few moments of rest with Anna present and awake spoke volumes.

Anna had no idea what drew Elsa to her. Anna always thought of herself as a plain type with the occasional geeky hobby. Anna was a decent hockey player and was actually pretty athletic considering her age. She felt a little awkward at times but not entirely uncomfortable with herself.

Elsa was the epitome of her craft even at her young age. She was also highly intelligent and very self aware of how the world perceived her. She put a lot of thought into everything she did from her routines on ice to the well put together and wide variety of outfits she wore on a daily basis.

Anna wasn't as well read as Elsa, wasn't as aware of the happenings around the world as Elsa and definitely wasn't as well mannered as Elsa.

They were, in essence, complete opposites.

Anna sometimes didn't understand what Elsa saw in her. She asked about it once and Elsa had simply told her that she felt comfortable being around Anna. She didn't feel judged and she felt that she could do whatever she wanted and Anna would never maliciously tease her.

Even when Elsa's schedule grew so busy that she was hardly in town, Elsa still made an effort to call or at least text Anna whenever she could.

Whenever Elsa came back from a competition or training, Anna was usually the first to know. She would hear all about the trip and the country Elsa got to barely enjoy but saw enough to get the feel of it.

Elsa had become a bit of a celebrity given her hugely successful career. It wasn't so bad that she had to hide from the press but it was enough to make her more self aware than before.

Her image was very important to her but it was more so for her family. At first, Anna was absolutely positive that Elsa's father hated her because of the way she would dress in baggy hoodies, jeans, and dirty sneakers. Elsa's mother, on the other hand adored Anna and reassured her that Elsa's father just had a permanent look of disdain on his face.

They were a loving couple and wanted nothing but the best for Elsa. In return, they expected the best from her.

"Does it ever bother you, having to keep up this perfect image not only for your parents but the world?" Anna asked Elsa one day after she came back from a competition overseas. Elsa called as soon as her plane landed and Anna biked over.

It was almost by luck that Elsa's house was only a twenty-five minute bike ride away. She lived in the better part of town with the larger homes and manicured lawns. Anna sometimes felt unworthy parking her mountain bike in front of the white garage, much less ringing the doorbell.

When she arrived she found Elsa doing stretches. Even though she just came back home and was mostly likely extremely jet lagged, Elsa didn't take a break. There were times when Anna came over and Elsa would be going through routines or moves that she felt wasn't perfect.

Elsa was a bit relentless. If it was early enough in the day, Anna would make Elsa get out of the house and they would go for walks around the neighborhood. Sometimes Anna would even get ice cream or some type of sugary pastry to comfort Elsa. She wanted Elsa to take it easy and just enjoy herself. Though it was easier said than done.

Elsa didn't answer until she finished her hamstring stretches. She stood straight, holding her arms high above her head. Anna did everything in her power to not look at Elsa's exposed midriff.

"Sometimes. But it's what I've expected ever since they remodeled our ice rink."

Our ice rink. That certainly had a very nice ring to it.

"Yeah?" Anna tried to keep a goofy grin off her face. She sat in the middle of Elsa's queen sized bed, legs tucked and crossed under her.

Elsa drew in a deep breath as she leaned back, lifting her shirt a little higher than it already was and-

Anna looked.

Elsa always did have a very nice body.

"Ever since I won gold at the World Juniors, everyone just expects more."

It wasn't a surprise that the next thing for Elsa would be the Winter Olympics. It was all the reporters wanted to talk about whenever they caught her after a spectacular performance. It was a natural next step in her career.

It was weird to think that Elsa had a career at the age of seventeen. It jump started the day she won gold at their own ice rink. Winning competition after competition turned a hobby into a full blown job. Now it was up to Elsa to not only perform for herself, but to win for her country.

Elsa's parents and her coach were pushing for her to go to the Olympics. They had absolute faith in her that she would at least stand on the podium for a medal. Anna did, too. She knew that Elsa had very high chances of winning gold.

Only Anna also knew that Elsa didn't really want to go at all.

It came up one Friday night when the two had tired themselves out and were sitting in the hockey players box, a nice cup of hot chocolate in their hands. Elsa only mentioned it in passing that she was scared to go to the Olympics. Anna asked why but Elsa never answered. They hadn't spoken about it since.

"If you…if you weren't a figure skater, what do you think you would be doing right now?" Anna didn't mean to ask that question. She was thinking about the Olympics but that lead to thoughts about Elsa's hesitation to Elsa not as a figure skater.

Elsa lowered her arms and looked right at Anna.

It was hard to tell what she was thinking. Despite how expressive Elsa could be on ice, off it, she hardly revealed anything. Anna was learning though. While Elsa's face was stoic, her body told a different story. Sometimes she would hold her hands together, tightly squeezing her palms and massaging her fingers. Other times she would hold her forearms close to herself. Most of the times, Anna saw that Elsa would always put her hands in her coat pockets and press her jacket closer as if to keep warm.

Anna knew that Elsa enjoyed the cold and that most of the time she wore a jacket for the sake of fashion rather than warmth.

Right now, Elsa's hands were held in tight fists for a moment before she released it. She drew in a deep breath as she climbed onto bed and laid face down.

Anna stretched out on her back, head facing Elsa.

They stayed like that for a while. Just staring at each other.

Anna felt her cheeks slowly get hotter the longer they stared.

A small smile started to form on Elsa's lips.

"It's so easy to get you to blush," Elsa said as she chuckled softly.

"Anyone would blush if someone as beautiful as you stared into their soul," Anna replied, covering her face with her hands. She peeked through her eyes when silence followed and was pleasantly surprised to see Elsa blushing. A look of mixed shock and embarrassment covered her face. "Are you surprised?"

Elsa looked away, focusing on her blanket instead.

"No, I shouldn't be but hearing it from you is…pleasant."

It was moments like these that Anna fell for Elsa that much more. The way Elsa looked away shyly, how her cheeks grew a tad rosier, to how she bit her bottom lip made her even more adorable.

"I'll tell you every minute then."

"No, please don't."

"Hey, Elsa?"

"Anna, don't-"

"You're beautiful."

Elsa buried her face into her blanket while her hands covered the sides of her head.

Laughing, Anna turned to her side, wrapped an arm around Elsa's waist, and pulled her closer. She gave Elsa's shoulder a soft playful bite, leaning her head back a little when Elsa finally came out from hiding.

"I didn't realize it was so easy to get you to blush, too," Anna said with a wide grin stretching on her face.

Elsa gave her a shy smile. She placed a hand over Anna's entire face and pushed her away though she barely put any effort into it. Anna laughed and resisted the urge to kiss Elsa's open palm. Instead Anna tightened her hold on Elsa.

Elsa turned on her side to face Anna.

"But seriously, what would you do? If you weren't a figure skater?"

Elsa sighed.

"I don't know…I like being on ice because I can do whatever I want. I feel like I can express myself better with skates on." Elsa was playing with one of Anna's braids, eyes focused on undoing and redoing the braid.

"Have you thought about acting?"

Elsa completely undid Anna's braid and was combing her fingers through.

"Not really. I don't think I'd make a very good actor."

"Really? I think you'd be good at it."

"The only 'acting' I've done is when I have to perform On Ice shows. Even then it's just me doing expressions and not delivering lines," Elsa started braiding Anna's hair again. "Plus, having to perform with complete strangers does not appeal to me."

"Alright, well…what about a clothing line? Everyone seems to do that."

"And that is precisely why I don't want to."

Anna didn't know what else she could suggest. Those were two of the most obvious choices she could think of.

"I like figure skating because it's just me," Elsa started. Anna opened her mouth to apologize for taking space but Elsa put her hand to Anna's lips and she shut her mouth immediately. "No, this is not about you invading my privacy because that is different but as a sport, as a competition, it can be difficult because judges can totally rig the system and take away the beauty of figure skating. But in the end, everyone else who watches gets something out of it. If I'm able to connect to at least one person and make them feel something through my performance then I fell like I've already succeeded. Like how it kind of brought us together."

Anna was blushing. She knew it but she couldn't help but smile a little.

"But…sometimes I wish I could just run away from everything and pretend to be something else. The pressure is too much for me at times and I just want to hide away," Elsa began as she leaned her head back a little to get a better look at Anna.

"It's okay to want to run away, as long as it makes you happy," Anna said as she gave a half hearted shrug.

Making lifelong plans when they were both so young shouldn't be their priority. Anna loved hockey and hoped that it would turn into a professional career for her. But she also knew that making it to pro would be quite difficult.

Elsa was already guaranteed success unless she pulled out all together.

Anna certainly had a lot of catching up to do before she could even consider herself Elsa's equal. Then there was the chance that Elsa didn't think of Anna as such.

"I wouldn't mind either way as long as you're still in my future," Elsa chuckled.

Anna opened and closed her mouth, not sure exactly how to react. It was like Elsa read her mind.

Elsa wanted Anna in her future. Here they were, chatting about life long plans and Elsa just casually suggested that she wanted to be friends with Anna despite everything.

It was almost surreal how much this was turning into one of Anna's fantasies where she and Elsa would grow up together and were childhood sweethearts. The press would bug Elsa about her relationship with Anna and she would shyly and also discreetly talk about it without actually confirming it. Anna on the other hand would have no problems talking but she would confirm with Elsa first if she could before she would blurt anything and-

She was totally letting her imagination run wild. They were only friends. Friends that currently had the common skill of skating on ice.

Thinking about it now, it would be cool if she and Elsa went to the Olympics together. They could represent their countries in their respective sport and hopefully win gold.

Anna had a long ways to go still and Elsa was starting to crumble under the pressure.

Sometimes Anna forgot that Elsa's career was slowly taking over her life the more she won competitions. The better Elsa performed, the less privacy she had. It was a weird way the world rewarded her for her accomplishments.

The media wanted to know all about Elsa's training and her daily diets. They wanted to know her family's history and who was her greatest inspiration. They didn't pay any mind that Elsa hated sharing information about herself and thus the media turned her Ice Queen facade into something it wasn't. They loved to pretend that when Elsa kept a stoic face before a competition, it was because she had nerves of steel and thrived under pressure. It was easier to believe that than the fact that inside she was so anxious to get it over with. They didn't want to know that Elsa had a guilty pleasure of eating a pint of ice cream after a huge event to calm herself down. They loved bringing up Elsa's fashion sense and how she was so well put together off ice. Elsa became an (un)intentional fashion icon that knew exactly what kind of make up went with what outfit and occasion. Everything the public knew about Elsa was based on her physical appearance.

They didn't care that Elsa, only seventeen years of age, was lonely at the top.

Elsa's success had alienated her from most of her peers that did not grow up with her. At school, her fellow classmates were intimidated to talk to her. Those that did try to befriend her could barely have a conversation without asking her life story about being a figure skater and what it was like to be famous.

These were the things that Anna knew. Elsa was generally a private person already but there weren't many questions that Anna asked that Elsa didn't answer honestly.

In fact, the only question Elsa didn't answer was her hesitation about the Olympics.

"Where did you just go?" Elsa chuckled softly, her eyes darting all over Anna's face.

Anna surprisingly didn't feel her face getting hot.

"Are you still thinking about not going to the Olympics?"

Anna almost regretted asking that as soon as she saw the panicked look pass Elsa's face. Anna held onto Elsa tighter.

A long and almost uncomfortable silence filled the room.

Anna waited as long as she needed to. If Elsa was scared of something, she wanted to know. She wanted to be able to comfort Elsa and help her. It's what friends do.

Only Anna wished she wasn't just a friend but this was not the time nor place.

"I…" Elsa bit the bottom of her lip. She looked down with her eyebrows slightly pulled together. "All the attention and expectations for me to win gold are overwhelming. Then there's pressure from major corporations who want to use my image to promote their household products and unhealthy food choices to the mass public. Coach Lucius tells me to not worry too much about anything but skating but my parents think getting my image out there will help. I just…"

Anna didn't say anything. She just waited and listened. There wasn't much she could say so lending an ear was the best thing she felt she could do.

Elsa snuggled in close with her arms in between them, hands holding onto the front of Anna's hoodie in tight fists.

Anna's heart was beating so fast, she just knew Elsa could probably feel it. Elsa's head was under Anna's chin and while Elsa was taller by a good six inches, she managed to fit perfectly in Anna's arms.

This wasn't the first time they laid in this position, with Anna comforting Elsa and trying hard to not freak out. The first time Elsa had done this, Anna had no idea where to put her arms. She wasn't sure to wrap them around Elsa's shoulder or waist if she should hold her. Luckily for her, Elsa fell asleep shortly after, leaving Anna half pinned under her.

Elsa looked so small in her arms. Anna didn't know what to say or do so she did the next best thing she could think of and that was to gently stroke Elsa's back.

It seemed to comfort her from the way Elsa's grip loosened.

"I just…feel trapped. I love skating but now it's just high expectation and ultimate disappointment if I fail."

"You won't fail. You'll do wonderful. The worst thing you can do is to not participate and that's not even that bad," Anna said though she wasn't sure if her advice was doing any good. "But, wouldn't it be cool to skate on Olympic ice though?"

"It would be," Elsa admitted.

"I bet they'd have you do a lot of commercials, too, like for Oaken's products or Subway or something."

"I've gotten offers already if I qualify. If I don't well, that's obviously it for me."

"You'll qualify. Do you get better benefits if you win a medal though?"

"Of course. Something about a contract where I advertise for them."

"Whoa, for what? Free Subway for life? Lifetime supply of sun balm?"

"I didn't read the details, but something like that."

Elsa didn't eat at Subway. She cooked her own food. She also hardly went out in the sun, if her pale skin was anything to go by.

"You know, you should totally be a spokesperson for Subway so that way I can eat all the food- ow!"

Elsa pinched Anna's side where she was most sensitive.

"You're terrible."

"What? It's not like you would eat it anyways! I'm always up for free food any time."

Elsa laughed then wrapped an arm around Anna's waist and held her in a tight hug.

"I wish you could go with me."

"Me too. I'm way too young for the hockey team though," Anna laughed when Elsa pinched her again, though it was lighter and more ticklish than painful. "You'll have your parents there at least."

Elsa didn't say anything. With her hand that was still between them, Elsa began tracing the faded yellow Triforce on Anna's green hoodie.

Elsa always disapproved of Anna's choice of clothing. Something about hoodies not being a fashionable statement nor flattering on Anna's figure. Anna could care less but she did find it amusing that Elsa hated her hoodies. She would make a point to wear hoodies all the time just to see the look of utter disdain whenever they were out in public. Though, Anna's Triforce hoodie was the one hoodie that Elsa didn't hate as much as the others. Incidentally, it was also Anna's favorite out of the dozens she owned.

It was a little big on Anna, which she was happy about since it meant she could still grow into it. But what Anna loved best was that the hood was a rendition of Link's long cap. Whenever she wore the hood she felt like the Hero of Time. It sometimes made her want to go rescue Elsa from whatever she's doing.

"It won't be the same. With you I…I just feel like it isn't a competition. Like it's okay to enjoy myself."

Plane tickets to the Olympics were expensive, not to mention the Olympic events themselves. Even if Anna was old enough to work at minimum wage job, she still wouldn't have been able to save enough. Her parent's weren't super rich so asking them was out of the question.

"I mean, it's not like we can't Skype every night either."

"That's true."

Elsa drew in a deep breath and closed her eyes. She snuggled in a little closer.

"Did you sniff me?"

Elsa didn't respond for a long moment. "I…might have. I like the smell of clean clothes."

"I haven't washed this sweater in three days, though."

"Then maybe it's just you."

Elsa suddenly blushed then buried her face in Anna's sweater.

"That's some Princess Bubblegum stuff going on right there," Anna said as she laughed.

"Some- what? Princess Bubblegum?" Elsa pulled her head back slightly with a raised eyebrow. Her cheeks were still slightly red.

"It's Adventure Time? Ugh, you've really got to watch that show with me sometime," Anna pouted, cheeks puffing out as Elsa chuckled.

"That kids show?"

"Dude! It is not _just_ a kids show! Don't knock it if you haven't tried it yet!"

For some reason, Elsa started laughing harder. Anna was a little upset but she couldn't help but laugh along as well.

Elsa would be alright. Anna knew that deep down, Elsa wanted to go to the Olympics despite all of her reservations and concerns. It was an experience of a lifetime and something she shouldn't pass up.

"Elsa," Anna said. She waited till Elsa looked up at her. It was the only time Elsa would have to look up at her and Anna only hoped that she would get a growth spurt and somehow become taller than Elsa in the next few years. "I think you should go to the Olympics."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. You'll probably regret it otherwise. I know you didn't get into figure skating to win medals and stuff but I think it'd be a shame if the rest of the world couldn't get to see how amazing you are." Anna brushed Elsa's bangs away from her eyes. She resisted the urge to trace her thumb along Elsa's cheek.

Elsa contemplated this for a few more moments as Anna ran her hand through Elsa's hair.

"I'll do it. I'll go to the Olympics."

"And get sponsors for free food-" Elsa pinched Anna again, "I mean, represent our country with dignity."

"You and food, I swear, if it weren't for hockey I'm sure you'd be a chubby little thing."

Anna laughed. Elsa looked better than she did a few minutes ago. She was still a little hesitant about the games, but at least now she didn't look as apprehensive as before.

"Hey, Elsa?"

"Hmm?"

"You're beautiful."

Elsa pinched Anna hard while her ears grew bright red.

* * *

Elsa was being a stubborn mule. She refused to let Anna know what routine she would be doing for the Olympics. Anna knew enough that most figure skaters generally skated the same routine they did for the qualifying championships but Elsa wasn't like most. She changed it up every once in a while. Enough so that Anna had no idea what to expect.

"It's a surprise."

"For whom? Why can't I see it?"

Anna's practice was about to start and Elsa's had just ended.

"That would defeat the purpose of a surprise if I told you." Elsa smiled coyly as she unlaced her skates.

"Anna! Get your butt out here or else it's ten laps for you, young lady!" Calhoun yelled.

Anna groaned, giving one last look at Elsa, "I've got a few months! I'm not going to drop this!"

Elsa simply waved as Anna got back to her team.

"What're you not going to drop? Elsa? Cause that much was obvious," Rapunzel stated as she came to a halt besides Anna.

"I'd be surprised if she even let Elsa go, what with all the time she spends with her and not us anymore," Mulan said as she came up to Anna's other side.

Anna felt shame take over her. She had been spending a lot more time with Elsa lately and the only time she usually spent with Rapunzel and Mulan was when Elsa was out of town.

"You'd think it'd be besties before breasties but-" Rapunzel held up her hands and shrugged.

"You guys, it's not like that-" Anna started but Mulan held up a hand.

"No, we get it. A beautiful and famous figure skater over rough, tomboyish hockey players? I'd totally ditch my friends, who helped you I might add, and go after the love of my life if I was in your position." Mulan held her chin high but she was having a hard time keeping a smirk from her face.

Anna glanced at Rapunzel to catch the girl trying to stifle a laugh.

They were teasing her again.

"Ugh! Dude, not cool! I seriously thought you guys were starting to hate me!" Anna still felt a little ashamed despite their teasing. She knew she had been neglectful in the past year trying to spend all of her free time with Elsa.

"Hey! You three stooges over there! Get your behinds over here right this instant or so help me, I will make the entire team do laps!"

Practice went per usual with Calhoun making them do hard drills. She praised Anna's foot work and speed, Mulan's defense at both protecting the goal and stealing the puck, and Rapunzel's perfect, one-touch passes.

Despite them not hanging out as much, they still made a great trio when it came to hockey.

After practice, Anna cornered the two of them in the locker as they were changing.

"Has it been that obvious that I spend so much time with Elsa now?"

"Is it obvious that when the clouds are super dark that it'll rain next? Uh, yeah," Mulan crossed her arms over her chest as she leaned against the lockers.

"_And if she falls in love tonight,_" Rapunzel exaggerated a sniffle, "_It can be assumed._"

Mulan came up next to Rapunzel, clinging onto her arm with a terrible face Anna guessed was supposed to be sadness.

"_Her carefree days with us are history,_" Mulan sang, mimicking sounds of crying as she did so.

Anna rolled her eyes as they held each other's hands and looked right at one another.

"_In short, our pal is dooooooooooooomed!_"

They began their overly exaggerated gross sobbing, hugging each other as they did so.

Anna wasn't even sure why she bothered.

Though, despite their teasing, she wouldn't trade them in for anyone else. Anna loved that she had these two to keep her grounded. They were her best friends and she felt okay sharing everything with them.

Well, almost everything.

She waited until they wiped their nonexistent tears away.

"Are you two done?"

"No, but we'll spare you the all the heartbreak you've given us," Rapunzel instantly switched back to her usual self, taking a seat on the bench besides Anna. "Seriously though, you and Elsa are hanging out together a lot nowadays."

"We're only just friends guys, she is three years older than me," Anna grumbled.

"What were you guys talking about before practice started?" Mulan asked. She pushed up the sleeves of her sweater to her elbows and crossed her arms over her chest.

"She won't let me see her routine that she plans to do at the Olympics."

"Don't they have to do the same routine they do for the Championships before that gets them to qualify?" Mulan asked though she looked at Rapunzel for confirmation.

"I don't think so. I know they have to submit their program beforehand but it doesn't mean they won't change it up between events."

"Maybe she just really wants it as a surprise for you? It's Elsa. She probably wants to perfect it before she shows you a half complete routine," Mulan reasoned.

It definitely made sense given how Elsa was a bit of a perfectionist.

"Yeah, I mean, I don't know Elsa personally but she probably isn't doing it because she doesn't want you to see it. It's probably that she just wants you to see the best of it and not the process it takes to get to the final product," Rapunzel added with a shrug. She stood up and pulled Anna along with her. "Come on, there's a new pastry shop that opened up in town a couple weeks ago. I've been dying to try their cupcakes."

They were about to head out of the locker when Mulan tapped Anna on the shoulder.

"Does Elsa want to come along? I know she's a bit of a loner at school but if you've been hanging out with her all this time then I'm sure she's pretty cool," Mulan stated. She and Elsa went to the same high school together, Mulan a freshman and Elsa a junior. Anna used to be a little envious, given that she was a year younger than Mulan and still in middle school. It also didn't surprise her that Elsa didn't have many people she talked to at school given how she was usually busy most of the year.

It threw Anna for a loop sometimes how much her friends put so much faith and stock in her opinions. Anna thought of herself as a little odd so whenever people, but especially her friends, took her word for anything, it made her feel a little proud.

Anna wanted to be a little selfish with Elsa but she ultimately wanted her friends to get to know Elsa too. She wanted Elsa to know that there were other people in the world that would accept her for who she was and not what she could do.

"I think that sounds great!"

It was no surprise that Elsa was a little quiet and overly polite when they went to the new pastry shop.

Mulan and Rapunzel spent most of the time teasing each other, but mostly Anna, to help break the ice. Elsa started to slowly open up towards the end, even joining in on their teasing.

Anna didn't mind that she was the butt of the jokes. She was the common element for everyone and the fact that Elsa was actually enjoying herself made it all worthwhile.

They all started hanging out with each other every once in a while when they all had free time.

Rapunzel introduced Elsa to Minecraft.

Anna had never seen anyone pick up a game so fast. Elsa was building a new house every time they hung out. She and Mulan would both be glued to the TV whenever they were at Rapunzel's house. Together, they built mansions and elaborate homes in the most random places. Anna spent her time gathering materials for them and left the two with the task of building to their hearts content.

Anna knew Elsa had a great sense of design and fashion but she was more surprised by how crafty Mulan was as well. They made a great team together when it came to building things.

Rapunzel was glad to find a friend that was as well read as she was. She and Elsa had formed a sort of mini-book club with each other and often suggested books to read and found that they enjoyed similar genres.

Anna was so glad that Elsa was becoming friends with her friends. In a way, it was a compliment. At first, she had been a little apprehensive but Elsa seemed to fit in just fine. Rapunzel and Mulan accepted her easily and never once did they ever ask about figure skating unless Elsa brought it up herself.

They knew of Elsa and Anna's weekly skating rendezvous but were both smart enough to not say anything with Elsa around. They stopped asking about when Anna told them that they did the same thing they did the week before, and the week before that. It took about four weeks for them to realize that Anna and Elsa literally just skated with each other.

Anna omitted the fact that the skating they did felt more like pairs with Anna attempting, and failing terribly, to skate as Elsa showed her. Other times, Anna would bring out the goal post and try to teach Elsa how to properly hit the puck. Most of the time, they ended up just skating and talking at the same time.

Anna tried to prod Elsa about her routine but she still refused to let Anna see it.

It wasn't until the week before the Olympics that Elsa finally decided to show Anna her free skate routine.

Without the music.

"If I can't invoke anything without music, then I'm not doing something right," Elsa reasoned.

Anna didn't mind. She spent years watching Elsa skate without music accompanying her. This wouldn't be any different.

Except that it was.

Anna wasn't sure how it happened. It was like a switch was flipped and something about Elsa changed. She was dressed in her usual training outfit of black tights, dark blue tank top, and black gloves. Despite that, the way Elsa skated, this might as well have been her official outfit.

Elsa glided on the ice with such grace and poise that Anna almost forgot that skating was a recreational sport and not inherently natural for humans to do. It seemed so innate for Elsa to be on ice the way she moved around the rink. Her jumps were effortless and her landings were perfect. She transitioned from jump to twirl so seamlessly and her footwork was impeccable.

It started picking up towards the middle where Elsa's skating became more desperate and more heartbreaking. She skated faster and faster, her movements and twirls and even her expressions were more aggressive, like she was fighting against an invisible enemy trying to hold her back. Then at the climax, she jumped a triple axel.

Anna's heart nearly stopped as Elsa spun three full rotations and landed smoothly.

Anna let go of the breath she didn't realize she was holding.

Elsa continued with a layback spin as she grabbed the end of her skate and held her free leg above her head.

Elsa finished off with more expressive skating, her face full of pain and anger then ultimately depression as if she had given up on everything. She finished with alternating foot sequences, twisting, turning and changing position until finally she was gliding sideways in the Ina Bauer element. She leaned back with her arms hanging limply beside her and her head nearly upside down. She curved then pulled herself back up, continuing with her pivoting foot sequence before she stopped in the dead center of the rink.

She was holding herself as if she were trying to keep from falling apart. She did a final spread eagle circle, skating on the inside then outside of her skates that turned into a full circle before she stopped completely. Then she slowly crouched to the ground with one knee on ice and her hands covering the back of downcast head.

Anna didn't know what to do. Instinct screamed for her to run out and comfort Elsa but common sense told her to stay put. She compromised and started to make her way over but slow enough that Elsa would notice and hopefully stand up by the time she reached her.

Elsa was breathing hard but she hurried to Anna, eyes wide with worry. She reached over to wipe away tears that Anna didn't realize she had.

Anna didn't know what to say. If she was crying now she could only imagine she'd be a mess once she heard the music accompanying it.

"Are you…are you alright?" Elsa finally asked, hands holding Anna's cheeks and wiping away more tears as they came.

"I think so," Anna began, she struggled to find words, "Elsa, that was so beautiful. I can't even- there aren't any words I could even use to describe what I'm feeling. I wish I could watch you perform in your dress with music and-" She sighed. "The world is going to fall in love with you!"

Elsa gave Anna a small smile. Her eyes were a bit of a mystery. Elsa was looking right at her, almost as if she were trying to convey a message of some sort.

"I sure hope so."

* * *

Anna was standing with Elsa near the security gate at the airport. Lucius and Elsa's parents had already gone ahead through the gates. They were going to meet up with the entire Olympic team before they flew out to the Olympics altogether.

Anna was standing there with her hands in the pocket of her Triforce hoodie.

Elsa was wearing a white V-neck shirt with a dark purple cardigan. Her skinny black jeans were tucked into her ankle high, black leather buckle boots. Her hair was tied up in a low bun with her black headband holding back her bangs. Her duffle bag was sitting on the ground next to her.

For once, Elsa was dressed for comfort in lieu of her long flight that she was about to go on.

Though seeing Elsa bite her lip and glancing at the security gate, Anna could tell she was anything but comfortable.

"You alright?" Anna asked.

"Not really. I'm almost half tempted to run back home," Elsa said as she glanced at the doors that led to the drop off area outside.

"Hey," Anna took Elsa's hands into her own, "You'll be awesome. Don't think too much about the points. Knowing how this works, I'm sure some country has got half the judges by the balls so even if you landed perfect quadruple jumps, they might still screw you over."

"_Anna._"

Anna grinned. She pulled Elsa into a tight hug.

"You're going to kick ass at this, you know why?"

Elsa chuckled.

"Why?"

"Because if your free skate is anything to go by, I have no doubt you'll move every single person in that stadium."

They pulled away though Elsa held onto the pocket on Anna's hoodie. She gently tugged Anna back to her. Anna was a little surprised to see Elsa acting like this. Elsa was always the model of sophisticated grace. She hardly ever showed any type of childish behaviors. Especially not out in public.

Anna really wished she could be with Elsa throughout the entire trip.

An idea popped into her head then.

Anna gently removed Elsa's hand, purposefully avoiding a possibly hurt expression that was on Elsa's face at the moment. She pulled off her hoodie and held it out for Elsa.

"I know you secretly like this hoodie despite how much you tell me you hate that my entire wardrobe is made of hoodies," Anna said. She made sure to give Elsa the best smile she could muster.

"Why are you giving me your hoodie?"

"To comfort you in place of me since I can't be at the games with you. You know, like a security blanket or stuffed animal except…a hoodie." Anna knew that Elsa knew that this was her favorite piece of clothing in the world but she hoped it would get the message across.

Elsa carefully took the green Triforce hoodie from Anna's hands as if she were handling a newborn baby. She hugged the hoodie to her chest, burying half her face into it while her eyes were still on Anna.

"Thank you," was all Elsa could say without crying.

"You're welcome," Anna said, giving a full teeth smile. "Now get going! You're going to miss your flight!"

Elsa enveloped Anna into a tight hug then after a moment of hesitation, gave Anna a kiss on the cheek.

"I'll see you in two weeks." Elsa waved goodbye as she hurried to the security gate.

Anna, dumbfounded, placed a hand where Elsa's lips had lingered.

"Well…week and a half technically."

* * *

Anna loved watching the opening ceremony even when she didn't really understand what was going on. The commentators weren't really helping. They kept intervening during the ceremony adding dumb comments about a culture they didn't really understand and making the host nation look ridiculous.

"Oh my god, just shut up and let us watch the damn thing!" Rapunzel shouted at the TV.

Mulan and Rapunzel were at her house watching it with her.

"I'm not even sure what's going on but it looks cool," Mulan said. She sat in the middle of the three and had a bowl of popcorn on her lap.

Anna was sitting at the end, her cell phone on the arm rest.

"I'm so jealous that you're going to go to the Olympics," Rapunzel muttered as she leaned forward slightly to give Anna a mock glare.

Elsa's father had pulled Anna aside the night they heard the good news that Elsa was going to officially compete in the Olympics. Elsa's parents agreed that they both wanted Anna to come to the games when Elsa would skate the Ladies Singles Program.

"It'll be a gift to Elsa. Knowing you'll be there to support her means so much to her and to us," Elsa's father said when Anna's eyes widened.

"B-but, it's so expensive! I mean the plane tickets are at least a thousand dollars and then there's the hotels which, I'm sure those are all booked up-"

"You don't have to pay for a single thing other than souvenirs. We've already talked with your parents and they agreed to let you skip school that Thursday, Friday, and Monday. We've got an extra bed for you at our hotel and you'll fly back with us."

Anna couldn't believe it. Elsa's parents were paying for everything? She knew they were rich but she didn't think they were that generous.

"I couldn't- it's not to say that I don't want to! I just, that's so much money and your family has done so much for me and my team already. There's no way that I could ever pay you back." Anna didn't know what she could do. She didn't even know why they would do this for her.

Elsa's father had gotten her team brand new jerseys and hockey equipment after they won their Bantam league division tournament. It was like Christmas day when they opened the boxes of brand new, never before worn gear.

One look at the jerseys and Anna knew Elsa had a hand with the purchases.

"The colors are far better suited for the Arendelle Reindeers than that plain black and white you had before," Elsa commented when Anna asked if she had any design input. Anna had hugged and given Elsa a quick kiss on the cheek then. Though she regretted it when she caught sight of Rapunzel mimicking silent wolf howls with Mulan giving her the widest grin possible and wiggling her eyebrows behind Elsa.

Now he was giving her a free trip overseas all for Elsa?

"Is there a real reason you're doing all this for me? I mean, Elsa is super important to me but I'm sure there's someone else that is important to Elsa?"

"Anna, _you_ are the most important person to Elsa. Ever since the two of you became friends, Elsa hasn't been happier. I also heard that you helped convince her to compete in the Olympics?"

"Sort of?"

Elsa's father chuckled. He gave Anna a pat on the head.

"Don't sell yourself so short, Anna. You're important to Elsa which means that you are also important to us. We'd like it if you joined us to help cheer Elsa."

It wasn't really a difficult decision.

"I would love nothing more than to cheer for Elsa!"

It was meant to be a secret from Elsa. Anna had such a difficult time keeping quiet about it but she had to tell someone. Mulan and Rapunzel had been the best and only candidates apart from her own parents who already knew. Anna almost regretted it especially when Rapunzel had almost blown her cover. Luckily Mulan was there to save the day and divert the conversation.

"Elsa still doesn't know that you're going right?" Mulan asked. She shoved a handful of popcorn in her mouth.

"Nope! She won't know until I'm in the stadium seats, waving a huge banner."

"Professing your love for her, I hope? That'll certainly get her attention," Rapunzel chuckled a little evilly.

"Yeah, or make her fall and lose all chances of getting a medal," Mulan added nonchalantly.

Anna didn't know why she even bothered. She should have expected such an answer.

"In all seriousness though, what would you put on the banner?" Rapunzel turned partially so that she had a better angle of the two besides her.

Anna hadn't really thought about it. She figured she'd just put Elsa's name decked out in obnoxiously bright colors with glitter outlining the letters.

"Maybe 'Elsa is awesome' or 'Elsa Hella'?"

Mulan snorted. "Please put 'Elsa Hella' I'll pay you."

They all laughed.

Anna's phone started to ringing. Elsa was calling. Mulan and Rapunzel shut up instantly and turned their attention back to the opening ceremony. It was the time when all of the participating countries and their athletes were entering the stadium.

Anna picked up her phone.

"Hi, Elsa!"

"Hello, Anna. I'm guessing you're watching the opening ceremony?"

There was a lot of loud chatter in the background with the occasional cheering and flat out screaming.

"Yup! Mulan and Rapunzel are here watching it with me."

"Hi, Elsa!" They yelled in unison.

Elsa chuckled.

"Do you mind if I put you on speaker phone?"

"No, go ahead."

Anna did so and held the phone up so they could all hear.

"Hi Mulan. Hi Rapunzel."

"Sound's like you guys already have a party going on over there," Rapunzel spoke a little louder than necessary.

"Just about. We're all mostly just freezing our butts off. Well, they are. I feel just fine."

Elsa sounded a little annoyed more than anything.

"Elsa, who are you talking to?" Anna heard a girl ask off in the slight distance.

"Friends from back home," Elsa answered simply.

"Oh, the hockey player? Anna, right?" The girl asked.

"Yup."

Anna felt her face heating up. It didn't help that both of her friends where snickering besides her.

"Ayyy," Rapunzel whispered.

Anna almost threw her phone at her.

"Hi, Anna! I hear a lot about you from Elsa!"

"H-Hi! Whoever you are!"

Elsa talked about her to her teammates?

"Anna said hello," Elsa said. The girl laughed in the background. "That's Belle, she's a teammate of mine in figure skating as well."

"Oh, cool."

"Yeah, oh, we're heading into the stadium."

"Okay, I can hang up-"

"No, no, it's okay. I've got my headphones on- unless I'm wasting your minutes-"

"You're not, I think. Don't worry! Mom and dad would probably tell me otherwise."

There were some muffled movements and then more cheering in the background.

"How are you feeling?" Anna asked.

She watched as the country right before Arendelle was about to enter the stadium.

"Really overwhelmed. There're so many people here. I don't think I've seen so many bodies in one place before. It's a little frightening actually."

Anna knew that Elsa hated crowds. She avoided going to any place during rush hour and would do her best to avoid places where she would be easily recognized. It was still something Elsa was getting used to but ever since she was announced as being a part of the Olympic team, more and more people would come and ask for her picture or autograph. Most of the times both.

"Hey, they're on screen!" Mulan exclaimed.

The team from Arendelle was small but they were definitely loud and energetic.

Apart from Elsa.

Despite wearing the designated outfit for their country, Elsa still looked the best out of everyone there.

Or maybe that was just Anna's vision.

"I'm liking that jacket they've got you guys wearing," Anna said.

"It's not terrible, but it's not what I would have designed."

Thankfully their television broadcasting station was showing the ceremony live. Although Anna wasn't there, talking to Elsa right as it was happening made it seem like she was.

"Wow, there are more people in the stadium seats," Elsa said though her voice was a little shaky.

"The only seats not taken up are the ones meant for all of the athletes," Mulan stated as she put a handful of popcorn in her mouth.

"And here is Elsa from Arendelle!" One of the announcers exclaimed when the camera zoomed in on Elsa.

"Oh, Elsa! The camera's on you now!" Rapunzel exclaimed.

Anna could see the white headphone line that went from under Elsa's beanie to the inside of her jacket.

"Elsa! Do a peace sign then do a thumbs up!" Anna yelled excitedly.

"I am not going to-"

"Hurry before they cut the camera from you!"

Elsa groaned and Anna could visibly see Elsa being annoyed though there was a smile on her face. Elsa raised a fist, then she put up two fingers then gave a thumbs up.

All three of them laughed and cheered.

"Haha, it looks like Elsa is showing some love for the fans back home!" Another announcer said. "She is the heavy favorite to win gold in Ladies Figure Skating this year. She's had an impressive record, winning gold in all of her events in the last two years."

"I cannot believe you just made me do that," Elsa grumbled.

"Please, I can see you smiling on TV, you know," Anna giggled as Elsa rolled her eyes just before the camera cut away to the next country.

"Well, for that, I am going to hang up and walk the rest of the way to our seats without you in my ear telling me to do idiotic things."

"Idiotic things you enjoy!"

"I'll talk to you later, Anna. Enjoy the rest of the show, Mulan, Rapunzel." Elsa said though Anna could hear the smile in her voice.

"Later, Elsa!" Rapunzel yelled.

"See ya, Elsa!" Mulan said at the same time.

"Talk to you soon," Anna said.

With that, Anna clicked off her phone.

"Real soon, like in a week and a half soon." Rapunzel wiggled her eyebrows.

It was a good thing Mulan and Rapunzel weren't joining her.

* * *

The flight over wasn't so bad. It was long but Anna slept most of the way. She felt groggy the moment she stepped off and made her way towards the pickup area.

Elsa's father was waiting for her in the baggage claim area.

"Did you have a good flight?" He asked.

"Slept through most of it, not too much turbulence," Anna had to stifle a yawn.

Elsa's father laughed as he took Anna's duffle bag.

"Oh, no- I can carry it!"

"Anna, please. This is nothing."

Anna felt a little bad allowing Elsa's father to carry her things but she relented.

They took a cab to their hotel where Elsa's mother was getting ready for Elsa's short program. She gave Anna a big hug the moment she stepped into their room.

"Thank you so much for coming, Anna!"

"No, thank you for paying for everything! And letting me be a part of this," Anna tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. She honestly didn't know how she could ever repay Elsa's parents.

"We knew Elsa wanted you here, we just hope she won't be angry with us for keeping it a secret," Anna's mother chuckled. It was so reminiscent of the way Elsa chuckled. Like mother like daughter.

"Nah, I doubt she will. Surprised, but not angry."

"We should probably hurry. Elsa doesn't skate towards the end but we want to get good seats," Elsa's father said.

Anna pulled on her Team Arendelle hoodie she bought the night before her flight. She slipped on some mittens and a green beanie. She was sure to take the poster that Mulan and Rapunzel helped her make.

They decided to play it safe and just put Elsa's name in all caps, decorated with a bit of glue glitter but mostly painted in bright, bold colors with snowflakes all around the edges. They made sure it was big enough to be seen across the stadium. They did a test after practice one day by standing on opposite ends of their ice rink with Anna holding it up for them to see. Calhoun suppressed muffled laughter but thankfully said nothing.

The walk to the figure skating stadium wasn't so bad. It was the hoard of people that were being difficult. Thankfully, because of Elsa's somewhat super star status, they were able to bypass the massive lines without any problems and found seats with a great view of the entire rink.

Anna was getting more nervous the longer they watched each of the other competitors. Anna didn't know how the point system worked; Elsa tried explaining it once but Anna zoned out within the first ten seconds.

Most of the earlier skaters got scores in the fifties range, the girls in the third bracket scored a tad higher in the mid-sixties. The scores were getting a little higher and higher with each skater.

The competitors for the last group all got on ice for their six minute warm up.

Elsa was the last to enter the ice.

Her hair was tied up in low bun with her bangs combed slightly to the right. She was wearing a maroon turtle neck dress that hugged her figure. Her entire back was exposed from the large oval cut. Black gems littered her arms from the shoulder down her wrists with black gloves covering her hands. The hem of her dress also had black gems that almost covered all of the red fabric but only just so you could see a hint of color through it.

Elsa wasn't like her usual self. She was squeezing her hands in front of her chest as she skated around the rink. She pivoted around and started skating backwards, picking up speed with her arms held straight out. She jumped but only did a single rotation. Agitated, she came to a halt at the end of the rink where Anna could see Elsa's coach patting her arm.

Lucius was saying something but Elsa did not look like she was calming down. She only nodded a few times before she went back onto the ice.

"She's extremely nervous," Elsa's mother stated. She squeezed her husband's arm as they watched their daughter trying to attempt another jump. She managed to land a triple loop jump though her landing was a little shaky.

Anna wanted to hold up her sign and scream Elsa's name but she was scared she would ruin Elsa's concentration. Maybe it was best to wait after Elsa's program before announcing her presence. Anna did not want to be the reason Elsa couldn't focus.

Elsa had her hands on her hips as she skated around, taking deep breathes as she did so. She did a few backwards crossovers and then finished with an I-spin skate hold just as the buzzer announce the end of their warm-up.

Elsa didn't have a very good warm-up. She was nervous, that much was obvious.

It was agonizing waiting for Elsa to come back to ice.

Anna couldn't keep hold of any conversations with Elsa's parents; giving them short one word answers instead.

When Elsa returned on ice, she was taking deep breaths. She didn't do anything fancy other than warming up her legs. She switched from forward to backwards skating for a good thirty seconds before she held her hands up, signaling she was ready. She came to a halt in the middle of the rink, adjusted her skates, shook her arms a little, and kept her eyes to the ground.

As soon as the music started, all sense of nervousness was gone.

She was skating beautifully, her first triple toe-loop was a success. Elsa was doing okay, not as smooth as Anna knew she could be but Elsa was skating better than any of the other previous girls.

It was now past the halfway point and thus Elsa's jump combinations were kicking in. As the music picked up so did she. Her foot sequences grew more elaborate; she was swerving in and out with precise and clean accuracy. Then she was getting ready for her big jump, the triple Axel.

Elsa leap, spun three rotations-

And fell.

Anna heard everyone gasp as she hit the ice but Elsa was soon back up on her feet to finish the rest of her routine.

It was clear the moment the music stopped and Elsa let go of her final pose that she was so upset with herself. Her eyes were downcast as she made her way back to the center to take her respective bows for each side of the room.

As Elsa turned to face the side Anna and her parents sat, Anna was overcome with the need to reassure Elsa that it was alright. That she did good.

Anna held up her poster and screamed Elsa's name. She didn't care about all the stares she was getting from the surrounding people.

It did the trick. Elsa nearly stopped mid-skate as she was making her way back to the waiting box for her score.

Elsa stared for a moment. Anna waved the poster as aggressively as she could without harming anyone around her. Once realization hit Elsa's face, she laughed and waved.

Elsa still smiled despite her score being probably the worst she had ever gotten in her professional career. It put her in sixth place overall.

But Anna had seen Elsa's free skate. She knew Elsa could easily get back in the game.

She just hoped Elsa believed in herself to do so.

* * *

Anna was waiting outside the stadium.

To her great surprise, Elsa came out wearing Anna's Triforce hoodie under her official Arendelle track jacket.

She was not used to seeing Elsa dressed so casually outside the comfort of her own home, much less wearing a hoodie out in public.

"Wow, I- you're wearing-"

Elsa rolled her eyes as she enveloped Anna in a tight hug. Anna laughed as she wrapped her arms around Elsa and held her tight.

"I can't believe you're here," Elsa whispered. She squeezed tighter, burying her face in the crook of Anna's neck and shoulder. "I wish I knew you were coming."

"It was a surprise," Anna couldn't keep the cheeky grin off her face when Elsa pulled back. "That would defeat the purpose of a surprise if I told you."

Elsa flicked Anna's forehead as she went to give her parent's a hug.

"Did you two bring her here for me?"

"We knew it would mean a lot to you to have Anna here," Her father answered. Elsa gave him a huge hug.

"So, what now? Do you have to go back to your hotel or are you going to go practice your free skate?"

"I told Elsa to take the night off and not worry about tomorrow. Our girl's got this," Coach Lucius said.

Anna liked his nickname Frozone better but hardly ever referred to him as such to his face.

"What do you want to do?" Anna asked Elsa. She couldn't help but take hold of Elsa's hand in her own.

She wanted to talk to her about her performance and to see if she was alright. Elsa looked a little better now but once tomorrow hit, she might turn into a nervous wreck again.

"There's a public skating rink a few blocks away," Elsa started.

"Elsa, take a break girl," Lucius began but stopped when Elsa shook her head.

"I just want to skate, that's all."

Anna was searching Elsa's eyes for any type of hidden meaning. Elsa only gave her a small smile and shrugged in response.

"If that's what you want, then let's go," Elsa's mother said.

On their way to the public rink, Elsa didn't let go of Anna's hand. They walked in silence as the adults behind chatted aimlessly about the entire Olympic trip and the country they were in.

Anna would steal glances at Elsa every now and then. She still couldn't get over that Elsa was wearing her hoodie in public. She somehow made it look cool to wear. Maybe it was the way she was walking or the fact that it was Anna's sweater but whatever it was, Elsa seemed to rock the casual look. Actually, Elsa just looked good in whatever she was wearing. Anna bet Elsa would look attractive wearing garbage bag. The thought nearly made her laugh.

As they arrived, Anna realized that the public ice rink was literally out in the open with only a one meter high wall separating the ice from it's surroundings.

"Won't people recognize you?" Anna asked.

Elsa wasn't wearing anything covering her head and she had a very recognizable and beautiful face that turned heads regardless if she was famous or not.

"I haven't had too much trouble," Elsa said. That wasn't enough. Anna pulled off her beanie and shoved it on Elsa's head. Pulling it down enough so that it covered all of Elsa's hair. Elsa gave her look of mild disapproval but didn't say anything.

Luckily a lot of the general public was wearing their respective country gear to show their support. Elsa should be able to blend in just fine.

They got their rental sakes and made their way into the ice rink. Elsa's parents and Lucius opted to sit on the bench nearby. It gave Anna and Elsa some privacy.

"How are you feeling?" Anna asked. There were a ton of people on ice so the most either of them could do was try and skate in a circle without hitting anybody.

"I'm not sure. I was extremely anxious before the short program. I'm upset about the fall but right now, I'm just happy that you're here."

Anna smiled.

"I still can't believe you're wearing my hoodie in public."

"Oh, shut up. All of the other athletes wear training clothes as they exit. I think it's mostly for media purposes," Elsa glanced down at the large Triforce. "I was also hoping you'd see me wearing it back at home. I'm sure there's bound to be pictures of it online."

"Oh, I'm sure. Tumblr and Twitter must be blowing up."

"Too bad I haven't actually played Legend of Zelda so once they realize that I'll probably be burned at a stake."

Anna laughed.

"I could always get you a Creeper shirt instead."

"Ugh, no. Those ugly pixelated things do not go with anything I own. Except maybe pajamas," Elsa's look of absolute horror made Anna laugh harder.

This was good, Elsa was calming down and wasn't as tense as before.

"Excuse me? A-Are you Elsa?"

A little girl had come up to the two of them. She couldn't have been more than six or seven. She was bundled up in a thick winter jacket and pants with a light blue earflap beanie covering her head.

Elsa crouched down so that she was eye level with this little girl.

"My name is Elsa, yes," Elsa replied warmly.

The little girl's face grew with excitement. Her mouth was open in a wide grin and her hands were shaking with delight. She didn't know what to do with herself and managed to barely hop up and down on the ice.

"I-I-I love you! You're very beautiful when you skate a-and I think you're the coolest person on the ice!"

Elsa chuckled as she said, "Thank you. That means a lot to me. I'm sorry I wasn't perfect today though."

The little girl shook her head. "It's okay! I fall down when I skate, too, but mom tells me to just get back up and try harder. She says that everyone makes mistakes but learning from them is what makes you better."

Anna wanted so much to hug this little girl.

"That is very good advice. Your mom is a very smart woman," Elsa said.

The girl nodded earnestly. Then she got shy again.

"U-um…c-could I get a picture with you?"

"Of course!"

Anna looked around to see if this girl's parents were nearby. She saw a woman a couple feet away watching them with a proud smile on her face.

The girl pulled out a digital camera. She got close to Elsa and tried to take a selfie picture. Elsa was about to reach for the camera when Anna offered her hand.

"Here, let me take it for you."

Anna took the picture and showed it to the girl for approval. Once she got the okay, the girl thanked them and scurried off. She was waving the camera around enthusiastically as she skated back to her mother. The mother mouthed a 'thank you' to Elsa.

Elsa began laughing. Anna looked over in alarm but Elsa was covering her face with her hands. It sounded like a laughter of relief.

"I forget sometimes, that medals aren't everything," Elsa murmured as she lowered her hands. She gave Anna a look of ardor.

This was the Elsa she knew back at home. The one that skated because it was something she loved, not because she was the best at it. This was the Elsa that Anna had fallen in love with.

Anna gave Elsa's hand three gentle squeezes; hoping that that was enough to convey the three words she wanted to say but couldn't.

Elsa squeezed back three times though with one raised eyebrow.

Anna laughed and then skated ahead.

This was enough for now.

* * *

Anna was back in the stadium as Elsa was warming up before her free skate. She still had no idea what music Elsa was going to perform with but whatever it would be, Anna was sure she was going to be a blubbering mess.

She made sure to bring a packet of tissues in case.

Elsa looked much better during her warm up. She wasn't as anxious as she was during her short program. She still was a little nervous from her tight expressions but that wasn't anything new to anyone about to perform.

Elsa was wearing a black dress this time. It was an asymmetrical cut from the top of her right shoulder to under her left arm. Her entire right arm covered in black down to the wrist while her left arm was made to look exposed though she had a skin toned sleeve covering her left arm. Gray crystals littered Elsa's black sleeve and covering the top half of her torso. The bottom half of her dress had two layers with a smokey gray underlayer and a thin, almost chiffon type fabric black layer over so the gray could still be seen.

Elsa always picked her dresses with her routine in mind. There was never a wasted detail in anything Elsa did from her dress, to each and every note in the music she chose. Even her warm ups were just enough to get her ready.

Elsa skated around the rink, doing faux jumps as if recalling her routine.

With one final, deep breath of air, Elsa lifted her arms, signaling that she was ready to begin. She made her way to the center of the ice rink. She positioned herself with her right hand over her heart, head looking over her right shoulder and eyes downcast. Her left toe was pointed into the ice.

Everything and everyone was silent. Not a sound was made until the music began.

Sara Bareilles' Gravity began to play.

Anna knew she wouldn't last.

Elsa danced to the lyrics, using her entire body from the way she maneuvered on ice to her arms extending and pulling back into herself.

"_No matter what I say or do, I still feel you here 'til the moment I'm gone…_"

Elsa wasted not a single note. She jumped and landed a triple loop, triple toe combination and continued on. She spun, alternating between half turns to crossovers and twirling around as she glided along the edge. Her arms extended beautifully as she arched them over and around her.

The audience was silent. Even the applause for her jumps were quick and short. It seemed as if nobody wanted to miss a single beat.

"_Set me free; leave me be…"_

Another footwork sequence that led to a double axel jump. She started to slow down, deliberately and expertly focusing on gliding from one end of the ice rink to the other.

It all made sense, now. Everything that Anna felt when she first watched Elsa perform with nothing but the sound of her skates against the ice as accompaniment just clicked. From her fluid movements to her expressions and now with the song, Anna knew that this routine was a direct message to how Elsa felt about the world and what everyone expected of her as a figure skater.

"_But you touch me for a little while and all my fragile strength is gone…"_

From a technical standpoint, Elsa was flawless but she wasn't just fulfilling a criteria. She was performing for everyone. The way her facial expressions were solemn and contemplative to how they contorted to pain and desperation made Anna's heart ache.

All the conversations they had about Elsa's reservations and how she wished she could escape started to replay in her head. Anna knew that the best way Elsa expressed herself was on ice.

And man, was she doing it well.

As the music picked up, so did Elsa. Her skating grew wild and explosive. It was as if she were fighting against an invisible force, trying to escape the pressures and expectations of the entire world on her shoulders.

"_The one thing that I still know is that you're keeping me-"_

Elsa jumped for her triple Axel. It was deadly silent as she rotated three times.

She landed perfectly and the crowd cheered.

"-_down!"_

She skated with the grace of a ballerina the way her arms extended above and around her. She then extended her right skate behind her in the signature Ina Bauer element and leaned back, face staring up at the ceiling. She curved in that same position then pulled herself back up as she twisted and turned on her way back to the center of the rink.

The tears came full force. Anna couldn't stop crying. She didn't even bother wiping her tears away.

"_Something always brings me back to you. It never takes too long._"

Elsa's free skate came to a close and she kneeled on the ground with her hands linked behind her head.

It was silent for a long, long moment.

Then Anna stood up and began cheering and clapping loudly. She didn't care if she was the only one or that she was a sobbing mess. She wanted Elsa to know that she did it.

It broke the tension and the crowd went wild. The cheering grew progressively louder and louder with each second.

Elsa stood up, chest heaving and hands covering her face. Her shoulders shook. When she finally removed her hands there were tears. She laughed and waved as she went to the center of the rink to take her bows.

Bouquets and stuffed animals were being thrown on the ice.

Anna threw a stuffed animal reindeer she brought with her from home down to the ice as Elsa started skating towards the open gate. Elsa looked up at Anna after she picked up the reindeer and blew her a kiss.

Anna blushed but she couldn't stop cheering.

Elsa scored the highest points out of all the ladies in the free skate.

It brought her to second place.

She was going home with a silver medal.

Anna was so proud of her. Elsa couldn't stop smiling as the silver medal was placed around her neck during the awards ceremony. She waved happily at the crowd and stood proud as the gold medalist's national anthem played.

The next couple of days were a blur. Since Elsa finished in the top, that meant she was expected to perform in the Figure Skating gala.

This was no problem for her. There wasn't going to be any judging or any expectation. Just her and the ice.

She performed a much more simpler routine with a few triple and double jumps but mostly dancing and gliding on ice.

All of the stress was gone. For now she could just enjoy herself.

Anna loved watching Elsa in her element without a care in the world. She was beautiful when she let herself go.

The Closing ceremony came and went, Elsa on the phone with Anna the entire time adding commentary here and there.

On the flight back home, Elsa fell asleep instantly. She leaned her head against Anna's shoulder and slept for the entire flight. Elsa intertwined their fingers before she slept, leaving Anna with one free hand to do absolutely nothing given her dominant hand was occupied. But she didn't mind.

She was happy that she could share this moment with Elsa.

It was Elsa's very first Olympics and while it didn't start off great, it ended well.

Seeing Elsa finally relax after a tough two weeks was a reward in and of itself.

Anna squeezed Elsa's hand gently three times. Elsa's grip was loose but her fingers were still holding Anna's hand. Her breathing was steady but Anna wanted to make sure she was fully asleep.

Anna glanced over at Elsa's parents across the aisle. They, too, were asleep.

Then, with her heart pounding, Anna gave Elsa a kiss on her forehead. She allowed herself a few selfish moments to allow her lips to linger on Elsa's smooth skin.

This should have been enough for now but Anna knew that enough wouldn't last.

The question was more of how long she would be able to wait.

* * *

_A/N: Phew, yeah this chapter is super long. I keep wanting to split it half but decide against it. This'll probably be the longest chapter out of the story so don't expect them to all be this long...thanks for reading!_


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